Change of Heart
by SpiderManda
Summary: Sango, Miroku and Shippo are sick of watching Inuyasha walk all over Kagome. They decide to take matters into their own hands. With a little push in the right direction, Kagome will turn from the uncaring half-breed to someone more deserving of her love and attention but who will the trio deem worthy of their cherrished companion's heart? Ultimately it is up to her! K/S vs K/K
1. Don't Let Me Down

**Change of Heart**

Chapter 1: Don't Let Me Down

* * *

"We're getting closer!" Shippo called back jubilantly as he ran ahead of his companions through the undergrowth of the forest.

It was late in the afternoon and the ragtag group of shard hunters had decided to settle down for lunch. Shippo had scanned the area briefly before rushing back to the others to tell them of a 'secret spot' he had found. Despite Inuyasha's cranky protests to move off course, they had all agreed to follow the young kit to this mysterious destination.

The three interested humans exchanged curious looks while the disgruntled hanyou trailed behind them, his arms crossed and a look of annoyance etched on his rigidly handsome face.

"How much farther, Shippo?" Kagome called out to the fox as she shoved through the brush, carefully avoiding a thorn bush.

"We're here!" Shippo's voice rang out ahead of them. Sure enough, a few paces ahead brought them out of the wild vegetation and into a large clearing where a stream ran through. The grass that stretched along the open area was decorated with wild flowers, the vibrant colors adding a beautiful touch to the already serene landscape.

"Oh," Kagome said in awe as she looked around, "It's beautiful, Shippo!"

The young fox demon smiled proudly, taking in the reactions of his friends as they entered the place of beauty. "I knew you'd like it, Kagome."

"It is very nice, Shippo!" Sango agreed, already finding a nice spot to sit and relax. Kagome turned and smiled at Inuyasha who was only just entering the clearing through the shade of the forest. He didn't seem fazed by the lovely sights of Shippo's 'secret spot', standing stiffly with his arms still crossed over his chest and a scowl firmly in place.

"Inuyasha, isn't it nice?" Kagome prodded. He shrugged and looked away awkwardly.

Miroku, Sango and Shippo were already seated in a small semi-circle as they awaited Kagome and Inuyasha to join them but she turned to the group with a pretty blush and wink before smiling back to the unsuspecting hanyou and asking in her sweetest voice, "Inuyasha, would you want to go sit and eat by the stream with me?"

The others watched as Inuyasha shot Kagome a baffled look before reluctantly nodding. She seemed thrilled as she took his hand in hers and led him away from the others, the coloring of her cheeks deepening as they made eye contact.

"I wonder what she has planned." Miroku said quietly as the others nodded their agreement.

"Inuyasha," Kagome started softly once she was happy with their distance from the others. "I wanted to give you something."

The half-demon shot Kagome a suspicious glance. "Yeah, what?" he asked roughly. He waited for her to rummage around in her large bag before pulling out a strange looking box and handing it out towards him. "In my time," she explained, "these are usually given as gifts to express how someone feels."

Inuyasha inspected the small package, sniffing it shamelessly. "What is it?" he asked, accepting the offered parcel from her outstretched palm. He brought it to his face to sniff it further and then held it away from him in disgust. "It smells like that curry stuff that burnt my mouth!"

Kagome's eyes widened. "There is some curry in there," she admitted, "but I made it very mild for you! Please give it a chance. I know you'll like it!"

"Nah," the ungrateful hanyou replied, "I'll let Miroku have it or something. He likes weird foods like this. You got any ramen?"

Kagome blinked once in shock, then twice in disbelief before her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You will NOT give it to Miroku!" she snapped, "I made that especially for you, baka!"

"I said I don't want it!" Inuyasha argued, "Let me see that stupid bag of yours! I'll find the ramen and make it if you're gonna be a pain!" he reached out to snatch Kagome's heavy backpack from her but she jumped out of his reach just in time.

"No way!" she hissed angrily, "If my bento box isn't good enough for you, then you can just starve!"

"I said_, give it here, wench_!" Inuyasha countered, darting towards her quickly. She attempted to pull her luggage from his reach once again but this time she was too slow. He easily snatched the yellow sack from her with one long sweep of his arm.

"INUYASHA, STOP!" Kagome shouted, lunging forward to retrieve her backpack from the hanyou. He moved away from her at inhuman speed, leaving her to fall forward and land gracelessly on her hands and knees. She glared up at Inuyasha, who was now a good distance away. He threw her backpack on the ground carelessly and proceeded to rummage through its contents throwing the different odds and ends on the grass around him in his frantic search for instant noodles.

"THAT'S IT!" Kagome screeched, "SIT, BOY!"

Miroku, Sango and Shippo cringed as Inuyasha met the earth violently, sputtering a string of curses into the ground. They had been a short distance away but in hearing range, nonetheless, and had heard the entire exchange. They could only watch in exasperation as Kagome stomped forward, uttering another '_sit_' command before closing in on Inuyasha's limp body in the dirt.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she shouted down at him as she eyed her discarded belongings in piles on the ground where Inuyasha had carelessly thrown them. "LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE, BAKA!" She fell to her knees and frantically began picking her things up and returning them to her large backpack, all the while grumbling angrily to herself.

"What a moron!" Shippo bit out in annoyance.

"Such a shame, too," Miroku thought out loud as he sipped from one of Kagome's water bottles, "It seemed like Kagome had something very sweet planned for Inuyasha."

"And he just cast the food she made for him aside and threw her belongings on the ground like garbage!" Sango hissed, clearly more irritated than the others as she watched her close friend finish packing the last of her things into her bag. She stood up and glowered at Inuyasha once more who was still embedded in the earth before turning to walk away.

The entire group could only watch as Kagome stopped in her tracks and stared down at the bento box she had worked hard to make for Inuyasha. It was tipped upside-down on the grass, its contents spilled out around it. Her face turned a bright red and her eyes visibly watered. She shook in rage as she stared down at her wasted efforts.

Her companions watched as she fumed. She slung her backpack from her shoulder and let it plop to the ground loudly. She reached in and quickly found the package of ramen Inuyasha had been looking for at the bottom of the bag. She turned to Inuyasha, who had finally pulled his face from the dirt and was now kneeling in the spot where she left him, a scowl on his face.

"IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?!" she screamed out, causing him to wince and block his sensitive ears from the deafening sound. She threw the package of dried noodles at him with surprising force and accuracy. It bounced off his head and landed a few paces away. "THEN HAVE IT, BAKA! I'M GOING HOME!"

Kagome spun on her heel and stormed away from the grimacing hanyou. She approached her companions stiffly. As she neared, they all stood up with sympathetic expressions.

"Kagome…" Sango cooed softly.

The trembling schoolgirl shook her head frantically, hushing the concerned demon slayer. "No… it's fine," she lied, her voice shaking as she spoke. "Can… Can I just…?"

Sango nodded immediately. "Yes, of course." She replied, "Please take care of yourself and return to us shortly."

"Lady Kagome," Miroku spoke, drawing her watery eyes to look at him. "Please do not take it so personally. You know as well as anyone how utterly clueless Inuyasha can be."

Kagome nodded but the pained expression on her face never ceased. Shippo hopped up on her shoulder and nuzzled in her hair.

"Inuyasha is such a fool." The wise child murmured into Kagome's ear comfortingly. She nodded her agreement and let out a weak laugh, even despite the tears that were creeping slowly down her face.

"Thanks, guys," Kagome said softly, her voice cracking. "Goodbye." With that, she approached Kirara who was already transformed and awaiting her. Even the fire cat was familiar with this situation and knew what was expected of her.

The others watched as Kagome took to the sky on Kirara's back, their expressions doing little to hide the sympathy all three of them felt.

"Feh," they heard Inuyasha mutter as he approached them, wiping the dirt from his face with his sleeve. "What a nutcase."

He came to stand in front of the others, his arms crossed over his chest. "Well what the hell are we all standing around for?" he bit out rudely, "Are we gonna stand around and watch the wench leave or are we gonna make some ramen and get on with the hunt for jewel shards?"

"BAKA!" Shippo shouted. Miroku shook his head in disapproval at his brash companion and Sango's head dropped down, her angered expression hidden beneath her bangs. Her hands curled into tight fists at her sides as she attempted to regain her composure.

"What did you say, runt?" Inuyasha taunted, his fist slamming down on the young kit's head. Shippo let out an agonized wail and that's when Sango's control snapped.

She took a step forward to stand in front of the unsuspecting half-breed, successfully catching him off guard when a loud smacking sound rang out. The force of her slap had turned his head to the side and left a red mark in the shape of her open palm.

"You are despicable!" she ground out before turning and storming away. "I am going back to the village and waiting for Kagome to return!"

Miroku sighed and followed after his infuriated woman, the look of disapproval never leaving his face. Shippo wiped the tears from his face and hopped away to join the others leaving Inuyasha to stand alone, shock still evident on his reddening face. He brought his hand up to graze the tender flesh on his face where Sango had struck him. It stung and he made a whimpering sound before gritting his teeth in annoyance, throwing his head back and yelling out in exasperation.

"WHAT _THE FUCK_ IS WRONG WITH EVERYONE!"

* * *

**Hello there. Thank you for reading my first real fanfiction! I couldn't decide who I liked better for Kagome so this is going to be a cross between Kagome/Kouga & Kagome/Sesshomaru. Don't get me wrong, in the end she will come to a decision but even I don't know what that decision will be yet. This is just the beginning, the end is so far away! For now, just relax and enjoy the show. I've got a lot of good things in store for this story.**

**The Beatles references are there for no particular reason other than my lack of originality and inability to think up a better name. I also happen to love the Beatles so that comes into play here too.**

**Please don't leave my bento box that I worked hard on for you in the dirt. If you read and liked this story (hell, even if you hated it!) please leave a review and let me know. It would really mean so much to know that the thought and effort I put into this fanfiction was not in vain.**

**Thank you for your interest! I will be updating every other day so please stay tuned!**

**SpiderManda**


	2. With a Little Help From My Friends

**Change of Heart**

Chapter 2: With a Little Help From My Friends

* * *

Only two days had passed before Kagome was standing in front of the hut, her large backpack slung over one shoulder and a look of anxiety on her face. Sango, Miroku and Shippo had all walked out to greet her. Sango hugging her, Miroku standing to the side with a warm smile on his face and Shippo shouting joyfully and throwing himself at Kagome as usual. She laughed and returned the warm greeting her friends had given her.

"I'm surprised to see you back so soon." Sango admitted to her friend when the excitement of her return died down.

Kagome's smile turned to a grimace slightly before it was restored. "Ah, yeah," she said casually, as if she hadn't had her heart broken merely two days prior, "I guess I overreacted, huh? I was hoping Inuyasha would be around. I guess I owe him an apology."

"You don't owe that baka an apology!" Shippo shouted from Kagome's shoulder, peeking up at her with fury in his large, green eyes. "If anything he should say sorry to you, Kagome!"

There was a slight coloring of the miko's cheeks before she laughed sheepishly and waved Shippo's statement off with a gesture of her hand. "No, Shippo," she repied, "Really, I was out of line. I should have just made him ramen like he wanted. I know how much he hates trying new things. I really don't know what came over me, thinking he would want that bento box. It was stupid of me."

Sango and Miroku exchanged looks before Sango turned to Kagome, unable to hide her scowl. "Kagome, I have to agree with Shippo on this one." she said sternly, as if scolding a child. "Inuyasha could have at least_ tried_ your special box thing. You were just trying to do something nice and he was very rude! If you feel the need to apologize, then whatever, but I don't know where he is. We came back here to wait for you after the incident and he didn't follow us."

"He didn't?" Kagome asked, a look of panic washing over her face.

"Yeah, he's been moping around in the outskirts of the village." Shippo said knowingly, a sly grin on his face. "He wasn't too happy when Sango hit him!"

Kagome gasped and turned to Sango with large, questioning eyes. "You..._ hit him_?!"

Sango nodded and crossed her arms. "Yes and he deserved it."

Miroku rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Yes, well," he said lowly, "Inuyasha had also hit Shippo. I think it was only fair."

Kagome frowned and her eyes narrowed. "He hit Shippo, huh?"

"That's right!" Shippo answered, anger burning in his eyes as he felt the lump on his head that Inuyasha had inflicted.

Kagome felt the little bump on the young fox demon's head as well and her frown deepened. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to find him so we can talk. He owes you an apology, Shippo, and I'll be damned if he doesn't give you one!"

* * *

Kagome had taken off with Shippo to find Inuyasha and Sango and Miroku were asked to collect some herbs for medicine on the outskirts of the forest for Kaede. They walked off towards their task in silence. Sango clutched her basket against her chest, lost in thought. She was happy to see Kagome again so soon but she was surprised her friend did not need more time apart from Inuyasha after what he had done. It bothered her that Kagome seemed to blame herself for the entire incident now and even wanted to apologize!

As she thought more about it, Kagome was often the one to apologize to Inuyasha after their fights and she was very rarely the one to blame. No, this scenario was not uncommon. Inuyasha would do something obnoxious or insensitive, Kagome would get hurt, yell and go back to her time for a few days and then come back with a big smile on her face as if nothing had happened, find Inuyasha and say she was sorry. Sango doubted Inuyasha ever even_ returned_ her apology.

"Sango," Miroku's deep voice brought the seething woman from her thoughts and she sent him a sideways glance. He smiled warmly at her, "Are you aware you are collecting weeds?"

Sango's eyes widened and she glanced down into her basket. Sure enough, mixed in with the herbs she had started collecting were thick, ugly weeds she must have plucked while she was lost in thought.

"So I am." Sango said glumly before sifting through the vegatation and tossing out the unwanted shrubs.

"Are you alright?" Miroku asked, taking on a very serious tone.

"Uh, yes." Sango lied. She felt Miroku's knowing eyes bore into her after a few moments and let out an exasperated sigh. "I just... I'm so angry at Inuyasha and I'm so frustrated with Kagome too." She finally admitted to the questioning monk. "Kagome is a very kind-hearted girl but I think she is far too forgiving when it comes to that moron and because of that, he walks all over her! It's just a maddening cycle!"

Miroku stroked his chin and nodded in understanding. "Yes, this ails me as well." he admitted, surprising Sango, "It has bothered me for some time, in fact. Inuyasha takes our dear friend for granted."

Sango was pleased that Miroku shared in this sentiment and nodded her agreement. "I don't understand why she tolerates it." she said, "Kagome is not a weak woman. She stands up for herself usually but in the end, she always gives in."

"Perhaps she just knows that if she doesn't apologize, she and Inuyasha would remain fighting." Miroku pointed out. "She may be stubborn, but not more so than Inuyasha and she cares deeply for him. That much is obvious. If Kagome didn't make the first move to resolve their fights, then they would never move on."

Sango's eyes narrowed. "Yes, but doesn't that mean that she cares much more than he does?" She asked, "If Inuyasha cared or _wanted_ to move past their fights, then wouldn't he at least make an attempt to make amends?"

"I suppose he is just used to and content with Kagome initiating it." Miroku replied, shaking his head sadly.

"Well, I, for one, don't like it." Sango said with determination flashing in her eyes. "I think Kagome deserves better!"

"Me too!" a small voice behind them startled Sango and she dropped her basket and spun around to see Shippo standing a few feet away, a determined glint in his eyes as well. He scurried forward, closing the distance between himself and his two companions.

"Shippo, we thought you were with Kagome and Inuyasha." Miroku said.

The child rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I _was_ but Inuyasha refused to apologize to me and jumped up in a tree so Kagome asked me to give them some time_ alone_." he explained, causing Sango to roll her eyes as well. "I couldn't help but overhear what you were saying, Sango, and I've been doing a lot of thinking myself..."

Sango and Miroku exchanged skeptical looks before glancing back to the child.

"What kind of thinking, Shippo?" Miroku prodded, awaiting the boy's answer.

"Sango, you said it yourself!" Shippo started, "Inuyasha doesn't deserve Kagome! She's too nice for someone like her! He abuses her kindness on a daily basis! Don't you two ever get tired of it?"

Sango nodded and Miroku shrugged and they waited for Shippo to continue.

"Well, I was thinkin'," Shippo went on, "Kagome always sees the best qualities in everyone she meets. She accepts Inuyasha for who he is because she ignores the bad stuff and only sees the good! Even though, usually, the bad stuff outweighs the good!"

"That makes sense." Sango replied, "But what can we do? There's nothing for it."

"That's not true!" Shippo countered, jumping up in excitement at what he was about to say. "Did you see how Kagome went from being apologetic to angry when we told her about Inuyasha hitting me?!"

Sango thought about it and then nodded slowly with wide eyes. Miroku didn't respond.

"Well, if we can somehow make her see the bad things and eliminate the good things, then we can get Kagome to snap out of it!" Shippo concluded, "If she starts seeing what we see in Inuyasha, then she'll start standing up for herself and realize that their relationship is going _nowhere_!"

"That's good and everything, Shippo," Sango said crossing her arms, "but I still don't see how you intent to do that? Are you saying we make Inuyasha _look_ bad so that Kagome loses interest in him?"

Shippo chuckled lightly, not seeming like a child in that moment. "Yes, well, I think we can all agree that Inuyasha _isn't_ a great guy for Kagome, right?" he replied mischievously, "Well, we can just help Kagome to see his bad side a little more. As for how, I have a few tricks up my sleeve but I need to know that you will help me."

"If Kagome finds out what we're doing, she will be livid." Miroku finally spoke.

"She will not find out!" Sango blurted. Miroku turned to look into Sango's eyes. He found anger and determination in those pretty chocolate depths and sighed. She was going to go through with this. "Miroku, say that you will help us!" Sango insisted suddenly. "We will only be doing what is right for our friend! She's love-struck and she needs a wake up call! It's up to us to help her see Inuyasha's flaws! I don't want to stand by and watch him hurt her time and time again!"

"Sango, it is unwise to involve ourselves in Kagome's affairs." Miroku said cautiously. "It is very personal ground we are treading here. Should we make the wrong move or should she find out what we are up to, we are risking hurting her feelings _ourselves_ or even risking our friendship with her!"

"Does this mean you aren't going to help us, Miroku?" Shippo asked incredulously.

Sango's eyes darkened and she grinned at the little kit instructing him to turn around. When she was certain Shippo wasn't looking she flashed a seductive grin to the monk standing in front of her and grabbed his hand in hers. "Miroku, you_ will_ help us, won't you?" she practically purred, bringing his hand to rest on her hip and leaning herself against him. She pushed her chest forward allowing him to feel the softness of her breasts against his chest and smile when she heard him swallow his saliva.

"We need you." she whispered huskily, breaking his self-control.

"Of course I will help you, my love." Miroku rasped, bringing his hand down to cup her ass and for once, not being struck by her large weapon or slapped in the face. She merely flashed him a victorious grin.

"Wonderful!" she chimed. She knew it was a low tactic to use against her lecherous friend but she could not have him knowing about their little scheme without participating. She needed his cooperation and this was the only way she knew how to get it. She pulled herself from his grasp and glanced at Shippo who was still sitting down, facing the other way, awkwardly thumbing a blade of grass. "Shippo, you can turn around now."

Shippo turned to face them, a knowing grin on his face. "So I take it you're on our side, monk?"

Miroku's face dropped as he realized just how much power Sango held over him. Still, he could not forget the softness of her breasts against him, nor the wonderful feeling he got when she flashed him that sexy smile. He sighed. "Yes, I suppose I am." he replied, "Anyways, let's hurry and discuss what we are going to do before Inuyasha and Kagome return from their talk. We don't want them getting suspicious already."

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**Whee! Another chapter written, edited and posted! I feel good about myself although admittedly, this chapter was very boring to write so it was probably boring to read, too. I apologize for that. **

**The chapters after this are going to get longer and far more interesting, especially when our suitors come into play. Let me just say, when Kouga comes in, things are going to get funny and cute and when Sesshomaru comes in, they're going to get weird. At least that's what I have in mind but this story seems to have a mind of its own anyway so I guess we'll just see! **

**Thank you for reading! Please leave me a review! **

**SpiderManda**

**REVIEW!**

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